1st JULY CURRENT AFFAIRS

1India Observed the 9th Anniversary of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout on 1st July.

The formal tax base has expanded significantly, with registered taxpayers growing from 66.5 lakh in 2017 to nearly 1.65 crore.

By replacing 17 different Central and State indirect taxes, GST created a common national market and substantially reduced the cascading effect of taxation which strengthen the idea of “One Nation, One Tax”.

GST 2.0: Major Reforms

Rationalisation of Tax Rates: Under this, the earlier four-rate system of 5%, 12%, 18% and 28% has largely been consolidated into two principal slabs of 5% and 18%.

Also, a new 40% rate has been introduced for luxury and demerit goods.

Household Relief:Essentials like UHT milk (tetra pack), paneer, roti, and erasers have been moved to Nil (0%) GST. Common household items like soap, toothpaste, kitchenware are placed in the 5% bracket.

The 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016 (originally introduced as the 122nd Amendment Bill) restructured India's indirect tax framework to introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Enacted on September 8, 2016, and effective from July 1, 2017

Article 269A: States that GST on inter-state supplies is levied and collected by the Central Government, with the revenue subsequently apportioned between the Union and the States according to Parliament's directives.

Article 279A, officially mandating the President to establish the GST Council.

2National Doctor’s Day-JULY 1

National Doctor’s Day in India is observed annually on July 1 to honor the birth and death anniversary of the legendary physician and former West Bengal Chief Minister, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy

July 1 was established as National Doctor's Day in 1991 by the Government of India.

Dr. B.C. Roy's Contributions

Renowned as a visionary physician, freedom fighter, and India's foremost medical educator.

Founding key institutions like the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Served as the second Chief Minister of West Bengal post-independence and is considered the architect of modern West Bengal.

He was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, on 1961

3e-OCI Card

The Electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) Card is a major citizen-centric initiative aimed at transforming OCI services for the global Indian diaspora through a fully digital system.

Under this system, applicants can complete the entire OCI process online - from submitting the application and uploading supporting documents to downloading the digitally generated card after approval.

Existing cardholders can also obtain their e-OCI Card digitally in most cases without needing a fresh application or physical verification.

Under the new arrangement, the requirement to re-issue the OCI booklet upon receiving a new passport after the age of 20 years has been eliminated.

However, cardholders will need to update their passport-related details online whenever a new passport is issued.

Allows access anytime through mobile devices, speeds up processing through digital issuance, removes the risk of losing or damaging physical documents, and facilitates smoother travel by enabling faster immigration clearance. For

The launch of the FCRA 2.0 Portal and the e-OCI Card is yet another significant achievement by the Ministry of Home Affairs in using technology for better governance and public service delivery.

It contributes to building a more transparent, secure, and digitally empowered governance system.

The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card is a lifelong immigration status that allows foreign citizens of Indian origin to live, work, and study in India indefinitely

Introduced by the Government of India in August 2005 through the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.